Slashdot Mirror
Is Your Computer Leaking Toxic Dust?
n0alpha writes "A recent study by scientists at the University of Washington suggests that computers emit dangerous chemicals. Specifically, chemicals called PBDEs (poly-brominated-diphyenyl ethers) found in the household dust that collects on your monitor and keyboard could pose a health threat. Scientists say the chemicals have caused developmental and learning defects in laboratory animals and may pose a threat to people and animals. 'It's critical we phase these materials out,' said Suellen Mele, Citizens for Resource Conservation. And some companies are doing just that."
no matter what you have and/or do, it will kill you, don't run in front of a speeding truck. no parasute free skydiving, now bungey jumping with only twine. now this.
Ya know what... this is going to be another email chain letter... nimby's going ape over the "new killer problem omg!!!" for the next 3 months.
people... *life* is dangerous... deal with it
...I stopped licking my keyboard when I was 16.
FLR
Well, I guess my computer WILL be the death of me ; ;
Like I could develop a learning disability from chemicals leaking from my... uh... thingamjig...
Crap....
Objects in the blog are closer then they ap
Today's date is most definitely NOT April 1st.
That being said...
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!
I never considered the IT field a "high risk environment" until now. I wonder exactly how bad this stuff is for you. Can't be much worse than brushing my teeth with heat sink compound.
even a stopped clock gives the right time twice aday...
You mean that neon green glow coming from the back of my case is not healthy?
Toxic, it's such a harsh word, how about "Not encouraging to one's health"
I can hardly believe the computer's leaking any kind of dust, there's usually so much dust that gets in.
If you snort two or three tons of this stuff, over the period of a few days, it will kill you!
Think of the children!!
And people said I was mad for wearing a NBC-protection suit when working with a computer! Now who's mad now! Nahahahahahah!
So let me get this straight.
Computers
1.Cause neurological damage
2.Cause your eyes to go semi blind.
3.Cause you to become lazy and fat
Am I missing anything here?
-Dipster
Like geeks keep shit clean anyway. Only thing worse than living in a damp, dusty, mother's basement while consuming week-old moldy pizza is going outside and having the chance that you might be hit by a subway car being ejected from the tunnels ala Speed.
that research causes disorders in lab animals.
Banaaaana!
I think Windows XP is emitting dangerous dust as well. I feel funny each time I start it.
I've noticed that new Mac smell is totally different from new PC smell. If I sniff close to the exhuast fan on my Powerbook I can still get a wiff. Now THAT gets me hot.
I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
Since PBDE is used for flame retardant, hold your expensive equipment next to a blowtorch
Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.
It's the smell of victory!
Crushing my karma one post at a time.
These toxins are produced with DHMO!
SUPPORT A BAN ON DHMO!
"It's a moral imperative."
Ha, ha! Nobody ever says Italy.
It's already been documented that silicon valley has the highest incidence of autism in children, as well as a growing rate of infertility.
Correlation does not prove causation.
I have four friends with recently diagnosed autistic kids, Parents: radiation technician, nurse, medical equipment technician, programmer, data administrator.
Nor does anecdotal evidence.
Is it just me or does everything kill lab rats?
TOOTHPICKS FOUND TO CAUSE DEATH IN LAB RATS
Scientists have discovered that force feeding lab rats 50,000 toothpicks caused death in 99.9% of cases studied. The one rat that survived eventually died from starvation.
"This proves that toothpicks are dangerous and should have warnings printed on them," said Bob T. Scientist, one of the researchers who turned mice into twiching pincushions.
The FDA has yet to comment on this story.
--- This
Just think of what you are breathing in when one of those nasty mofos farts.
Can we make computers out of soy.
Here is my reasoning.
The Sierra club is very concerned about the environment. They are so concerned that they send literally millions of letters out to literally hundreds of households, telling the people there that they should be concerned about the environment.
They print all of their materials using soy based inks ! If they're doing that, then soy-based inks must be good. They must be much better than the other inks that companies like, say, Microsoft uses on all of its letters. I bet Microsoft uses radioactive ink to print its letters. The kind that kills.
So, if soy-based ink is better, then let's go one step up: let's make that computers that print out the soy-based ink letters out of soy, too.
We all know that soy can be used to make plastic, and most of a computer is plastic. Everything else in a computer is basically metal -- and metal, as we all know, is perfectly safe in small objects (but not as safe when it is big -- at least, not if it could fall from the ceiling and hit you). The only other part of the computer is silicon, which is sand. And sand is perfectly safe, too, because it is 100% natural and has been around for millions of years.
So, if we just replace the plastic with soy, then we should be just fine.
Also, maybe we could put dust filters in computers, to capture the evil dust. Or maybe we could just put the Surgeon General's warning on the top of computers:
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING
If you are pregnant or smoking, do not breath the toxic fumes coming out of this computer! Also, if you are not smoking or pregnant, they are still bad.
Karma: Chevy Kavalierma.
I've noticed that new Mac smell is totally different from new PC smell. If I sniff close to the exhuast fan on my Powerbook I can still get a wiff.
Mmmm, blueberry.